


Heart of Frost

by angel1876



Series: The Oncoming Frost [4]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Bullying, But please be careful if you are sensitive to this, Character Death, Character Study, Child Neglect, Dark Forest (Warriors), F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I'll write notes as needed, M/M, Mistakes, Original Clans (Warriors), Slow Burn, StarClan (Warriors), Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Verbal Abuse, stay safe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-10-28 14:26:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17789090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel1876/pseuds/angel1876
Summary: Perfection is unobtainable, but the illusion of such can be far to easy to project. It is easier to live in a comforting lie than it is to face a harsh truth.There are consequences to every action.





	1. Chapter 1

Silence fell upon the camp in its entirety.

It was the most absolute of noiselessness. The kind where a misplaced paw upon a fragile branch would sound like thunder, where the gentle brush of breath feels like a hurricane roaring through the ear.

The silence, its meaning, the weight of it, was crushing.

Flametail did not touch the leader's body, despite what custom's demanded. He stood nearby, he held his vigil, but he dare not lay his head upon the fallen's fur as his fellow clan members did. His blue eyes regarded her, committed her form to memory, as his thoughts drifted back to what she once was.

There was no describing the ache in his core, nor the background leer of expectation. Flametail didn't need to look, to know there were eyes lingering at his back.

In the morning, he would travel to the moon pool, where Starclan gathers to commune with medicine cats and with leaders. He would put his nose to the water, and he would receive his nine lives. He would choose a deputy by day's end, and mark the beginning of his rule over the clan.

His mother was gone.

Flametail curled his tail back and fourth across the ground, a predictable, easy pattern, something to ground himself where he sat. With a glance toward Silverpelt, he sent up a prayer that his mother be accepted with grace, and that she in turn, forgive him for not following protocol. He didn't know what he would see, if he touched the body, and he didn't know how it might affect her, though separated from it.

He stood vigil over her. 

The camp was quiet.

Elsewhere, not far away, a fragile cry broke the air.

In another camp, isolated from the warriors that lived there, a queen curled about her newborn. Little more than a tiny scrap of fur, the kit wailed its protest at the new world it found itself in. The patient mother purred soothingly, and in patience, offered warmth and milk. Delight coiled her tail as her kit quieted, and as the little one fed, she smoothed down her fur with a careful tongue.

The newborn was mostly white, clashing with the midnight dark she'd been expecting. 

She named the little one Frostkit.

She did so in the absence of a medicine cat, in the absence of any warrior at all. Alone in the nursery, she lay her head down, and let herself rest.


	2. Chapter 2

Flametail knew that this journey would be faced alone. He would have company on the way there, it was customary for the medicine cat to come with the leader to be to their destination, but the actual ceremony would be done without him.

So when they made it to the motionless, smooth body of water, he took a moment to brace himself. His tail curled back and fourth across the ground, his eyes on his own reflection, the moon shimmering high above his head. Maplepelt stood to his side, keeping a comfortable distance, giving him a chance to gather his strength.

He said nothing until Flametail looked over at him. Their gazes met, and Maplepelt sat up straighter.

"If you are ready, lower your nose into the water. I will be here for you when you wake up." He adjusted his tail, unwrapping it around his legs only to wrap it back around them the other way. "Remember, you can discuss what you see with me, but not with the rest of the clan."

"Yes." Flametail said. With a breath, he turned back toward the pool, staring into his reflection's eyes. Slowly, he moved to lay down, paws tucked in under his chest, tail still moving back and fourth against the ground. He lowered his head, and let his muzzle dip below the surface, the ripple making the unbroken surface shimmer, tiny waves reaching up and out across the pool. His nose stayed above the water, his eyes felt heavy, and started to close.

He was still there, at the pool, but he could feel the world around him shimmer. When he looked up, he saw the twinkling of starlight ripple into every visible surface, as if the world itself had become like the water. Maplepelt was gone, and Flametail knew this meant he was asleep.

Figures took shape around him, nine of his warrior ancestors coming to greet him from Starclan.

Some of them he knew, and some of them he'd never met. He saw that Redstar was there. He saw that someone who should have been there was missing.

One cat separated from the crowd to meet him, an elder he'd known and taken care of in his apprenticeship. The elder rubbed his cheek in greeting, then lowered his nose to the top of his head. "With this life, I give you patience. Use it well, to keep up with your clans needs."

And with that gift, a rush of pain, and a flash of emotion from the elder's previous life. So it went, from one cat to the other.

"With this life, I give you courage."

"With this life, I give you honor."

Trust. Loyalty. Faith.

Wisdom. Endurance.

Redstar came last. With a softness in her eyes, she first coiled her tail around him, and then turned to rest her nose upon his head.

"With this life, I give you compassion. Use it well, in all you do."

The pain that came here was different. Less physical, more emotional. It was grief, it was loss. It was what she must feel, the same way he'd felt the day before.

She stood, looking at him, and her fur glimmered as she moved, a thousand stars shifting within her pelt.

"I give you your new name, Flamestar. You have received the nine lives of a leader, and Starclan gives you the privilege of guarding Sunclan as you see fit. Defend your clan, care for each member, honor Starclan in all you do and follow the Warrior Code."

All around them, the surrounding Starclan cats rose their voices, his name called out to ring in the air. "Flamestar! Flamestar! Flamestar!"

Redstar curled about him again, and under the noise, she murmured just loud enough for him to hear. "Remember, my kit, the warrior code was crafted with pride, and never for cruelty. Not every rule should be followed if doing so causes needless suffering."

"I know."

One by one, the cats began to leave. Fading back into the starlight from where they'd come. Every one, until it was just him and Redtail. After one more moment's embrace, she let him go, turning to leave, too.

"Mother," he said. She looked back at him, and he said, "...Applepaw wasn't here."

Her tail lowered, her ears fell back, and he knew those to be signs of sadness.

"Applepaw is not in Starclan. Nor has she been condemned to the Dark Forest."

"Where is she?"

"I can not say. I am doing what I can. Believe me."

"I understand. Thank you, mother."

She, too, left. For a moment, he was alone, and then his eyes were opening, and his chin was wet.

He stood, shook the water off, rubbed the remaining moisture off his muzzle with the back of his paw. That heaviness lingered, a welling sorrow. He tucked his tail in close to himself.

"Flamestar." Maplepelt's meow was soft with concern. "Are you alright? Do you need to talk?"

"...no."

There was little more he could do but say he was sad, and just saying he was sad...that wasn't going to help.

Instead, he padded closer, and pressed himself into the medicine cat's side. Maplepelt purred, pressed back into him, offered his presence as a way to soothe. Light as a feather, Flametail leafed through for a memory he knew was there. It was recent, though not quite so recent as Redstar's loss.

He found it with little issue, and brought fourth the image of the day Maplepelt discovered that Leopardstar was going to have kits.

It was a nice memory. A happy memory. Flamestar felt a premature wave of affection for the unborn cats, the joy of looking forward to watching future warriors grow up.

This...was what helped.


	3. Chapter 3

The sky was clear, and Silverpelt shone overhead in all its glory. Maplepelt took a moment to look up toward those stars, a sense of peace settling over him despite the clamor of cats all around him. Rainclan smells trickled into the area on a breeze, their members soon following after.

There was no risk of battle. The Gathering-place was sacred ground, hollowed to all clan cats. Still, there was a sense of unease. This was the first meeting they'd had since Flamestar took over.

Turning away from his fellow Sunclan cats, Maplepelt approached the group of Rainclan warriors. A mix of both golden and brown eyes glanced his way, and individuals moved politely out of his way to let him pass. He nodded to each of them in greeting, and soon found who he was looking for. Rainclan's medicine cat was a nearly pure white cat, with grey in his tail and ears. True to form, Iceleaf held himself stiff and tall, and though the shade of brown in his eyes was warm, the expression they bore was closer to frost.

At his side stood two apprentices. Maplepelt recognized them as Birdpaw and Coldpaw. Brother and sister, respectively.

Coldpaw was Iceleaf's apprentice, and she greeted Maplepelt with a nod of her head. Birdpaw shied back, his eyes harder, wary. This was only their second meeting.

Iceleaf turned his head toward the two fallen branches in the center of the clearing. "We need blackberry leaves. Stormtuft ran into a beehive half a moon ago and required half our supply."

"I see." Maplepelt said, his own eyes following to rest on those branches. "Can you spare some horsetail in return?"

"It's a reasonable trade. I'll meet you at the boarder at sun-high tomorrow."

Coldpaw straightened her back, trying to be as tall as her mentor was. "Can I get some watermint, too? I want to learn what it smells like, but there's not a lot growing on our territory right now."

Maplepelt curled his tail around his legs, his meow light and gentle. "Of course. I'll bring you watermint, too."

Coldpaw gave a purr of gratitude.

Soon, both leaders jumped up onto the branches, followed by their deputy's, who stood behind them. The leader of Rainclan was Greystar, a solid grey cat with a stocky build. Batleg, his deputy, twitched his tail in nervous agitation as he eyed the new cats on the other log.

Flamestar sat with a cool air, his gaze calm and even, his tail brushing back and fourth along the side of the branch. Blueclaw, behind him, sat a bit closer than what was customary, close enough that if Flamestar lifted his tail off of the branch, it would brush against his face.

Within moments, the entire clearing went silent, every eye drawn to its center.

Flamestar spoke slowly and clearly. "Sunclan's previous leader, Redstar, lost her final life to the aftermath of an injury she sustained protecting the clan from a fox attack. The fox, too, died in the battle, you need not worry about it showing up in your territory. I am the new leader of Sunclan. I have received nine lives from Starclan, and I've assigned Blueclaw as my deputy."

Greystar nodded in understanding, his head dipping down low. "I see. We of Rainclan are sorry for your loss. We hope to continue our peaceful relations with your clan, and may we both stay strong for the generation to come."

"Yes." Flamestar let the moment linger, just for a heartbeat. Without changing his tone, he went on, "Aside from the dead fox, the badgers we found a moon ago have yet to return. I suspect they've moved on. The current level of prey is sufficient to keep us fed, though there is a shortage of medical herbs. The lack of rain seems to be drying them out, the only plants thriving are the ones near the river."

"It is the same for us," Greystar said. "By the look of the sky above, rainfall will come soon. It won't be a moment too soon, the earth feels like it's aching for water."

"I should also report that one of our warriors, Leopardstorm, is with kit. She's moved to the nursery, and will be at rest until they come."

Greystar's tone lightened, "Rainclan offers congratulations. I wish we could offer similar news, but our kits were already born a number of moons ago."

"Perhaps later, then. That is everything I have to report."

"There is nothing Rainclan has to say that hasn't already been said. Our prey is not plentiful, but it is sufficient, and there is a lack of medical herbs. With any luck, our medicine cats are working something out as we speak."

Iceleaf snorted under his breath. Maplepelt purred in response, hoping to soothe.

"Then it seems this meeting is over." Flamestar said. With little ceremony, he jumped off the fallen branch, and Blueclaw soon followed after him.

Birdpaw's meow broke through the lull. "Iceleaf, why didn't Greystar mention the new kit?"

Maplepelt's attention turned back to the other three. "New kit? He said there haven't been any kits born since you and your sister."

Iceleaf flicked a dismissive tail. "The kit isn't ours. She's the kit of a rouge."

"Oh. A friend of Beeltefur's?"

"...no."

Iceleaf was never exactly a welcoming one, but he seemed almost angered by the subject. Maplepelt tilted an ear, eyeing him until he looked away.

"There are two-legs every two steps out of the forest." Iceleaf said. "I just think the rouges should go to them, not to us."

"Not every cat gets along with two-legs." Maplepelt said, "And rouges aren't so bad. Flamestar's father was a rouge."

"...yes. I know."

There was an edge in those words that he didn't like. The fur along Maplepelt's back started to bristle, and he forced himself to smooth it back down. Biting back his words, and judging by the sideways glance that felt more like a glare, he thought perhaps Iceleaf was doing the same.

"If you don't want them in your clan," Maplepelt said evenly, "you can send them to us. Perhaps we'd give them a warmer welcome."

"Try telling them that."

There, the subject needed to change. It needed to change because Maplepelt forgot, sometimes, that Rainclan's views were different than Sunclan's, and despite those views, they still needed to get along as members of opposite clans.

"So, tomorrow, at sun-high?" Maplepelt asked.

"Tomorrow, at sun-high." Iceleaf confirmed. He turned to the two apprentices, nudging them each in turn with the tip of his tail. "Both of you, come. We need to head back."

Birdpaw seemed hesitant. He glanced back at Maplepelt, before Iceleaf's prompting drew him away. The three of them left to follow their fellow clan members as they prepared to leave.

Maplepelt, too, turned to go his separate way, drawing back to his own clan. He found Flamestar and Blueclaw sitting close together, the leader's tail wrapped tightly around his deputy's side.

"Are the two of you alright?" Maplepelt asked, padding up to them.

"Just glad it's time to go home." Blueclaw said. He leaned into Flamestar's side, who leaned into him in return, cool eyes easing shut.

A moment of peace.


	4. Chapter 4

Iceleaf shooed Birdpaw off to the apprentice den as soon as they got back to camp. Coldpaw, he sent to the medicine den to reorganize what herbs they had left before she went to sleep. With a huff, he sat down and smoothed the fur on his foreleg, ear twitching in agitation. Turning his head skyward, he stared up at Silverpelt, eyes narrowed, searching the stars above but finding no messages there. No threat to be wary of, no commands to be headed. 

The rain would soon fall, the plants would soon grow. 

Their situation with the herbs was just a minor inconvenience. 

He turned, and padded toward the nursery. Beetlefur was still there, on her side, curled about the small scrap of white fur. Iceleaf let his lip curl, fixing them both with an even stare. He sat, and met Beetlefur's gaze as she glared at him.

"What do you want?" she asked, her tone as cold as any Rainclan cat's. It almost would have been impressive, if she wasn't using it to insist that she was one of them. 

"I had a talk with the medicine cat of our opposite clan," he told her. "If you and your kit wish to find a more welcoming place to stay, their territory is open. They rather enjoy having rogues like you around. Though I can't imagine why."

"I'm not leaving."

Iceleaf deliberately glanced down, eyes lingering on the newborn. "I thought that'd be your answer. You do enjoy making things difficult for your kin, don't you?"

"You're the ones who are making things difficult! I'm not leaving. I have every right to be a part of this clan."

"Greystar doesn't think so. He didn't even announce your kitting at the gathering."

"Darkstar-"

"Darkstar isn't here anymore. Darkstar made a mistake by letting a rogue into the clan in the first place."

"I'm not leaving, and you can tell them I don't care about their offer."

Iceleaf raised his gaze to meet hers once more. Her voice was edged with defiance, her tail puffed out and angry. He'd known this would be her response. He also knew that, determined though she was, neither her nor her newborn held the clan bloodline. Sunclan might not care about who they let into their territory, but Rainclan very much did. 

He shrugged his shoulder. Stood and turned away. "Fine. Stay. But you know the rules Greystar set down. It would be easier on you if you weren't here."

Beetlefur growled, "Who cares about Greystar's rules? I can take care of myself!"

He ignored that. Padding back out of the nursery, he grabbed a spare rat from the fresh-kill pile, and sat to eat it before returning to the medicine den.

Back in the nursery, Beetlefur curled around her sleeping kit. Her ears pressed low and her fur standing on end with anger. She could take care of herself. She did it before joining the stupid clan, and she'd continue to do it for the rest of her life if she had to.

Standing, she grabbed some of the nesting material and covered Frostkit with it. If she didn't eat something soon, she wouldn't have enough milk in the morning. Frostkit mewled in protest at the loss, but Beetlefur ignored her. She'd be twice as upset if her mother didn't leave and then the next time she was hungry there wasn't anything to eat. Turning, she padded out of the nursery, and turned to head into the forest. She had to go hunting, because Greystar wouldn't let her take from the fresh-kill pile like the rest of the clan.

Without her mother there, Frostkit curled tight under the nesting material, and cried. Tiny, frightened mewls that wavered in the air. Even with the coverings, she was still cold, and soon started to shiver where she lay. 

Her eyes still closed, she felt rather than saw a weight settle next to her, the bedding pulled away so her back could be groomed. Slow, careful licks, smoothing her fur down. It wasn't her mother. It didn't feel like her mother. It didn't smell like her mother.

The scent was awful, filling her nose and mouth, making her cry harder and turn her nose as far to the side as she could to try and be rid of it.

"Shh." 

Too young to understand the words, but the tone they were in was soothing, quiet. Gentle.

"Mother will be back soon. I'm here. You're safe."

The weight stayed there, next to her, for a long time. 


	5. Chapter 5

Sunlight seeped through Flamestar's pelt, melting deep into his skin. It heated the rock under his belly, surrounded every inch of him in warmth. 

This was the highest point in camp, the top of Rock-hill. From here, he could see every inch of the clan, the entirety of it settled right below his nose. He could see the morning patrol return with fresh-kill, enough to keep everyone fed for the day. He could see the elder's den, quiet and away from the noise and fuss of the main camp. The nursery, opposite, where Leopardstorm now stayed, kept under close watch by Maplepelt. Tigerstripe dropped off their squirrel catch and made their way toward the little nesting area to go see their mate. 

Blueclaw didn't pause at the fresh-kill pile. Flamestar followed him with his gaze as the deputy made his way straight for the base of Rock-hill, bounding up its side with quick, heavy bounds.

Flamestar didn't need to look to feel his weight settle near. 

"You need to eat properly if you're going to take care of this clan."

He twitched an ear in recognition. Not that Blueclaw had ever needed an excuse to fuss over him. He sat up, and let the rat be shoved in front of him. Without a word, he tore into his meal, swallowing it down in systematic gulps.

While he worked, Blueclaw moved behind him. Pressed his face into his shoulder and started working on a knot that formed there-

Blueclaw was thinking back to their apprentice days, and how Flamestar never did like grooming his own fur. The deputy felt a mix of both fondness and worry, the former born of affection, the later from the knowledge of Flamestar's long hair, and the risk of matting. With all the new responsibilities they both had, now, what if-

Flamestar absently reached out and brought his thoughts away from that, redirecting him toward their last grooming. He felt warmth well up at the positive memory, and a coil of tension within him relaxed. This, at least, he could do. He could offer comfort.

He licked his muzzle and pushed the remaining half of the rat toward his mate, "You need to eat properly, if you want to help me take care of this clan."

Blueclaw chuckled his amusement, taking a moment to work out the rest of the knot before turning toward the rat. "Alright, if you insist."

Flamestar curled his tail around Blueclaw's legs, keeping contact with him, earning a purr in response. He lay back down, watching the other eat, before turning his attention back to his clan below.

When Blueclaw was done, he went back to grooming him, soon adjusting so that he lay across Flamestar's back, their tails intertwined. 

"You know," Blueclaw said, you don't have to stay up here all day. It gets hot up here, I don't get how you can stand it."

"Are you thinking of trying out for medicine cat? Maplepelt's been asking for a new apprentice."

"Ha. No. But I think you should go down and get some water before I sent him up here to nag you about it himself."

"I'll get water soon. Just stay here for a while longer."

Blueclaw purred louder and nuzzled into the back of his neck, and Flamestar lightly kneaded his front paws into the ground. His gaze on his clan, his attention of his deputy. Shared happiness was one of the few things that helped, that made things better, for a little while. 

It feels like natural thought. Like drifting, or daydreaming. He'd known for a long time that no one realized he could do this. 

Flamestar brought up moments that he knew were Blueclaw's favorite. Playing when they were young, hunting practice. Spending their warrior vigil side by side. And yes, the grooming, quiet talks, simple weight and gentle peace.

The process wasn't completely within Flamestar's control. He could bring up memories, he could paw through thoughts, and he could redirect, but he couldn't outright stop a scene, and his interference tended to lead into other subjects, often making this more like a conversation than anything else. Blueclaw's attention started to focus on the past, the core of their relationship, a sense of familiarity. 

They'd always been close. Sympathy for a similar circumstance. 

Flamestar's father was a rogue, one who'd rejected an offer to join the clan, and who'd only come around a few times in his entire life. Blueclaw's mother was from Rainclan. Blueclaw's father just came padding into camp with a kit in his mouth, and although he'd confessed what he'd done, Rainclan was never going to admit what had happened.

Blueclaw felt no loyalty for the clan who'd abandoned him, but there was always this thought, whenever he saw an older she-cat in their rival clan, if that one was his mom. A part of him wanted to know, a part of him wanted her to come join them, as unlikely as that was to ever happen. Flamestar felt the same, about his father. Although at least he knew who the cat was, it was unfortunate that he never had any desire to stick around.

The two of them had been through a lot of hard things, together. A lot of good things, too.

Blueclaw's thoughts drifted to Sunpelt, Flamestar's brother, with a pang of regret. Flamestar, too, felt his own sadness well, and of course-

-of course this leads to the image of Applepaw.

Applepaw, she was Sunpelt's and Flamestar's sister. She'd been the medicine cat apprentice, once. She'd been good at it, too, she'd thrown herself into learning everything she could about the position, before she'd disappeared. When they'd had to accept that she wasn't coming back, Maplepelt wound up in the position instead.

He was great, he was kind, and thoughtful, and he put his all into his work as medicine cat, but Applepaw was still gone, and Blueclaw was sure she was dead-

-but Flamestar knew she wasn't, because she wasn't there when he got his nine lives, and his mother couldn't find her in either Starclan or the Dark Forest.

Not wanting either of them to dwell on these thoughts, Flamestar turned his thoughts toward something that the entire clan was happy about. The kits Leopardstorm would be having soon.

"You should have seen Maplepelt talking about the pregnancy," Blueclaw said, conversationally. A desire to share good news for the sake of sharing good news, and because he knew Flamestar had been having a hard time of things, lately, and maybe talking about good things would help. "He's fussing more than Tigerstripe is. Honestly, you'd think these were his kits."

"Technically, as the medicine cat, every kit born in this clan is partly his. And it's been a while since we've had kits running around."

"Heh. True. I hope one of them gets to be his apprentice. I know he'd like that."

"We won't know until we see what the kits were like." He paused, then added, "I hope he gets an apprentice, too."

He holds onto that, keeps their focus on this hope for the future. This was a good thing to dwell on.

Together, they watched Foxcloud make his way toward the kill-pile, and Flametail let his eyes close, just for a moment. Just to let himself enjoy Blueclaw's weight and the feel of the sun. He'd get up, go get water. Come back up here. He felt better, watching the clan from the top of Rock-hill. Like he was being a good leader. More than anything, he wanted to be a good leader, he wanted to make his mother proud. 

He wanted to do right by this clan.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank Starclan, that clouds were finally starting to gather overhead.

Maplepelt made his way down toward the river, Foxcloud following behind. Though he'd not asked for it, he appreciated the assistance. While the lack of rain made a lot of plants slow to grow, or even prevented some of them from growing, there were things that could be done to ease the problem. Trade with Rainclan was one of them, the other one, of course, was to bring water to the necessary plants directly. 

Once at the river, Maplepelt slid into the water, submerging under its surface completely for a count of three heartbeats. Foxcloud followed his example, and once they were both soaked, they made their way toward the closest patch of poppy flowers.

Of course, this only worked with things that were close to the river. They didn't use moss because it didn't hold enough, and anyway, it had to be saved for getting water to the elder'S den. 

It took more than one trip to water the poppies, then they went after the marigolds and the lavenders. 

Foxcloud lingered by the lavenders for a while, he liked the smell of them. Maplepelt followed his lead, leaning down to breathe in their scent. He sat by Foxcloud's side and brought a paw up to wipe some of the river-smell from his eyes and nose. Foxcloud brushed his tail against his shoulder to get his attention, and when Maplepelt looked up, he signed with his ears and tailtip.

"Going to hunt while I'm out. Join me?"

Maplepelt nodded, responding with a series of motions of his own. "We should stay by the river, the water will disguise our scent."

They split up to hunt on opposite sides of the current. Maplepelt was a decent hunter, and the lack of prey to hunt was less of an issue given that all living things were coming to the water's edge to drink. It wasn't hard at all to find a squirrel, leaping upon it and ending its life with a swift bite.

Opposite him, Foxcloud crouched low at the base of a tree, his ears pressed to his head as his eyes scanned his surroundings. Paws dug into the ground in the hopes of feeling the vibrations, and standing very, very still so as not to be seen.

Foxcloud was a blue-eyed cat with a large amount of white fur. More white fur, in fact, than the ginger he was named after. A lot of cats in Sunclan had white fur and blue eyes, and so cats who were born deaf weren't at all uncommon. All cats in Sunclan knew how to speak non-vocally, with gesture.

A bird came to settle on the ground near Foxcloud, and just as it was getting comfortable pecking through the grass with its beak, Foxcloud made a leap for it, killing it with a single sharp blow. 

Once there was no risk of disturbing potential prey, Maplepelt swam to Foxcloud's side of the river, pausing to shake water out of his fur. Padding closer, his squirrel hanging from his mouth by the scruff, he said, "Good catch."

But Foxcloud wasn't looking at him. He was distracted, abandoned the bird to sniff at a spot just a few rabbit-lengths away. His tail twitched, and Maplepelt put the squirrel down to follow him. 

As soon as he reached his side, Foxcloud turned his attention to him. 

"I smell Fox here."

Maplepelt stiffened, and sniffed the area, himself. Indeed, there was the scent of fox. Stale, but fresh enough to indicate that it'd not been long ago at all that it'd passed by. Maplepelt said, "Maybe it came for the water and moved on."

"Either way, we should tell Flamestar."

"Yes."

Redstar died from a fox attack. Maplepelt didn't relish the thought that there were more of the things hanging about in their territory. He gathered his squirrel, and Foxstar picked up the bird, and together they made their way back toward camp.


	7. Chapter 7

Frostkit's mother had to leave her, all the time. 

She always came back, and there was always milk when she did. Still, it didn't make her leaving any easier. The only thing that made her mother not being there more bearable was the cat that came when she was gone. A comfortable weight, a gentle voice. No warmth, though. No temperature difference between the big cat and the air. 

The rains came, when Beetlefur was gone. Frostkit was left to cower in her nest alone, until that weight came again. A tail coiled around her, a calm voice in her ear with promises of her mother's return.

Frostkit could see the cat, now. Old enough to open her eyes, old enough to take in the strange figure in the nursery. 

She was a shadow. 

A cat that looked like she was made out of the void, her body formed with darkness, with a pair of bright, bright yellow eyes that held an unnatural glow. Her paws made no sound when she walked, and she never went through the one entrance to the nursery. That scent followed her wherever she went, horribly bitter and awful.

Frostkit pressed herself into the bigger cat's side, shivering at yet another storm outside. "...is it ever gonna stop?" 

"It will, eventually. And eventually, you won't be afraid of it anymore, even if it storms worse than this."

"Rain is bad! It's never gonna be good!"

"I know. It's okay. You're not alone."

The words hung in the air. Frostkit looked away, toward the camp outside. Her ears pressed down into the top of her head. "Why not?"

Then the shadow cat's eyes turned to her, looking at her for a long moment. "Why not...?"

"Mommy's the only one that likes to come in here. The others don't like us. Why am I not alone?"

A small noise in the back of the other's throat. A growl, almost, but her voice was calm and even when she answered. "I'm here. So you're not alone."

That didn't answer her question. "But why?"

"...because I care. They don't."

"They're stupid. They yell at mommy."

The other cat twitched an ear, and looked away, staring off toward the entrance of the nursery. "Yes. But they're also your clan. You'll need to work around them, when you're older."

"I don't want to work around them. They're mean." Silence answered her. The tip of her tail twitched, irritated, and for a moment, she forgot the rain. "Mommy says we have every right to be a part of this clan as they do."

"You and mother are lucky to be here."

"It doesn't feel lucky!"

"Not now. But being a part of a clan is important. Clans are protected by Starclan. Has mother taught you about Starclan yet?"

"...no."

The tail around Frostkit's side tightened. "Starclan watches over all clans. They are good, and holy, and they will accept you so long as you stay loyal to your clan. So you need to follow them. Heed the warrior code, and no matter how hard it gets, uphold all their ways."

"What if I don't want to be a warrior?"

"Starclan doesn't deal with wants. You have to be a warrior to go to Starclan. It's the most important decision you can make. Promise me you'll try?"

"What's so good about going to Starclan?"  
  
"If you don't go to Starclan...you go to the Dark Forest. And the Dark Forest is the worst place any cat can go. Think of the worst storm you can imagine...and then think of something far, far worse than that."

Frostkit drew closer to the other's side. "That sounds scary..."

"It is. But we're going to get you into Starclan. So you'll be okay."

Here, Frostkit pressed her face into the shadow cat's shoulder, the scent of her filling her nose. She pulled away with a snort. "You need to groom more! You smell worse than dirt."

A chuckle met her, and with a shift of fur, the older lay down, belly to the ground, her yellow eyes looking up at Frostkit's. Her tail, long and fluffy, curled back and fourth on the ground behind her. "Sorry, kit. Grooming isn't gonna help. But it's okay, cause if we get you to Starclan, you never have to deal with smelling like me. Okay?"

"Ewww. Okay."

"Good." The cat stood, moving to nuzzle the top of Frostkit's head. A paw raised to rest, without any weight at all, on her shoulder.

Frostkit blinked, and pulled away, looking up at her. "...what's your name?"

The other stiffened, backing away a few paces. For a moment, silence threw the rain outside into contrast, and for a moment, the rain was everything. The shadow cat said, voice hard. "If I tell you...you can't tell your mother."

Frostkit recoiled at the tension, her fur fluffing up reflexively. "Why not?"

"I'm not supposed to be here. If you tell her, I'll...I'll have to go away. I won't be able to come here anymore."

"Why aren't you supposed to be here?"  
  
"...I'm...I told you. The Dark Forest is the worst place you can go. I'm bad, Frostkit."

"You're not bad! You stay with me in the rain! How is that bad...I could tell mommy you helped me."  
  
"You can't. I can't be here if she knows I'm here. I'll never be able to come back. You can't tell her."

Frostkit stared at her, was stared down in turn. Her nails were digging into the ground, and she hated the idea, the thought, that the shadow cat wouldn't come back. "...okay."

"Okay."

Tension, still in the air. The smell was stronger now, worse, and snorting into the ground did nothing to relieve it. Quietly, Frostkit asked, "so...what's your name?"

A weight settled in next to her again, the cat's tail curling around her to soothe what lingered of her upset. "I'm Nightwhisper."

"Nightwhisper." Frostkit echoed. 

Outside, the rain still poured.


End file.
